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  • Armenian Protestant Community In Lebanon

    ARMENIAN PROTESTANT COMMUNITY IN LEBANON
    Vahram Hovyan

    "Noravank" Foundation
    03 May 2010

    The Protestant Armenians of Lebanon are, alongside with the Apostolic
    and Catholic Armenians, one of the three confessional stratums of the
    Armenian community in that country. The Armenian Protestant community,
    established back in the 19th century, expanded after the Armenian
    Genocide when the Protestant Armenians, together with other Armenians,
    immigrated to that country from other places of the Ottoman Empire.

    Protestant Armenians today constitute 5% (4-5 thousand) of the Armenian
    community in Lebanon. They are mainly centred in Beirut and its suburbs
    - Burj Hamad, Eshrefie, as well as in the city of Aintchar. Beirut, in
    some extent, can be considered the centre of the Protestant Armenians
    in the Near East, because here the Union of the Armenian Evangelical
    Churches in the Near East is situated.

    Due to the fact that the Protestant Armenians constitute a great part
    of the Lebanese Protestants in general, one place or mandate for the
    Protestant community in the Lebanese parliament from time to time is
    occupied by the an Armenian deputy. Thus the number of mandates for
    the Armenians reaches 7 because the Apostolic Armenians and Catholic
    Armenians are also separate communities to which, correspondingly 5
    and 1 (generally 6) places in parliament are allotted.

    To present general condition of the Protestant Armenian community in
    Lebanon the following characteristics can be distinguished:

    The Protestant Armenian community in Lebanon is rather organized,
    viable and active. Its viability is, first of all, expressed in the
    eager activity of its organizations.

    The Protestant Armenians are not alienated from the Apostolic and
    Catholic Armenians but they constitute integral whole with them. The
    manifestations of this are: the Protestant organizations' activity
    of both community and nationwide importance, the inter-confessional
    collaboration with the Apostolic and Catholic Armenians within the
    framework of many of nationwide programmes and for the solution of
    different issues.

    Protestant Armenian organizations in Lebanon For the Protestant
    Armenians, just like for the Lebanese Armenians in general, besides
    religious organizations, the availability of many educational,
    benevolent and other organizations is characteristic. The Protestant
    Armenian organizations in Lebanon are divided into 4 main groups,
    according to the character of their activity:

    spiritual-clerical, social, educational, informational.

    Spiritual-clerical organizations. The Protestant churches were
    established in the Armenian community in Lebanon in the 1920s,
    alongside with the growth of the population of the local Armenian
    community. The first Protestant church - the First Evangelical
    Armenian Church of Beirut - was established in 1922. Today there are 6
    Protestant Armenian churches in Lebanon1. The leader of the Protestant
    Armenians in Lebanon is Rev. Paul Haidostian who is the chairman
    of the central committee of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical
    Churches in the Near East.

    Social organizations. The social organizations were established by
    the Protestant Armenians of Lebanon on necessity, in order to help
    Armenians who sheltered in Lebanon after the Armenian Genocide. Today
    they practice benevolent, medical, educational and other activities.

    The well-known Protestant Armenian organizations in Lebanon are
    Armenian Evangelical Social Service Centre, Armenian National
    Sanatorium, Christian Endeavour Union of the Armenian Evangelical
    Churches of Syria and Lebanon and etc.

    Educational institutions. Among the biggest educational institutions
    of the Protestant Armenians in Lebanon is the Haigazian University
    in Beirut which is the only higher educational institution in the
    entire Diaspora. Haigazian University was established in 1955 as
    a classical school and in 1966 it turned into a university. On
    four faculties of the Haigazian University, besides the theology,
    various disciplines of art and science are taught2. The president of
    the university is the leader of the Protestant Armenians in Lebanon,
    the chairman of the central committee of the Union of the Armenian
    Evangelical Churches of the Near East Rev. Paul Haidostian.

    The schools of the Protestant Armenians (7 schools) are very popular
    not only among the Protestant Armenians but also among the rest of
    the Armenians in Lebanon. They are situated both in Beirut and in
    other cities of Lebanon3.

    Information institutions. The printings are the main informational
    structure of the Protestant Armenians in Lebanon. They are "Badanegan
    Artsakank", "Chanasser" magazines and "Luys" magazine published
    quarterly. By its significance among the printings the annual Haigazian
    Armenian Studies journal published by Haigazian University since 1970
    is distinguished.

    The nationwide significance activity of the Protestant Armenian
    organization.

    The activity of the Protestant Armenian organizations in Lebanon is
    not restricted to the Protestant Armenian community; it also includes
    the entire Armenian community in Lebanon. That very activity of
    the nationwide significance proves that the Protestant Armenians in
    Lebanon are an integral part of the Armenian community in general. The
    activity of the nationwide significance includes the following spheres:

    educational, social, informational.

    In the sphere of education the nationwide character of the Protestant
    organization's activity is conditioned by two circumstances:

    The confessional composition of the students. In the Protestant
    Armenian educational institutions in Lebanon not only Protestant
    Armenians study, but also the Catholic and Apostolic Armenians. The
    special place among those educational institutions is allotted to the
    Haigazian University which activity is not restricted to the Armenian
    community in Lebanon. Every year the university admits students from
    20 countries regardless of their confession4.

    As for the schools it does not make any difference for the Armenians
    in Lebanon. That is why, in Armenian schools in Lebanon, including the
    Protestant schools as well, "... children of the Apostolic Armenians,
    as well as of the Catholic and Evangelical Armenians study" 5.

    Educational programmes. Armenian educational institutions besides
    theology, teach Armenian studies in general. At the Haikazian
    University at the Chair of Armenian Studies Armenian literature,
    history, politics and culture are studied. Thereby, the graduates
    of the university become the figures of not only narrowly Protestant
    community but of the whole Armenian community in Lebanon scale.

    The aforementioned two conditions are interconnected and they prove
    the nationwide character of the activity of the Protestant Armenian
    educational institutions in Lebanon. The fact that Armenians of
    different confessions come to study to the Protestant institutions is
    conditioned by the availability of educational programmes in the sphere
    of the Armenian studies. Thus, those educational institutions are
    Protestant as far as they belong to the Armenian Evangelical Church.

    The Protestant Armenian institutions of the social sphere have been
    established to take care of the Armenians in Lebanon. So it is obvious
    that their activity cannot be restricted mainly to the Protestants and
    it should include all the Armenians in Lebanon irrespective of their
    confessional affiliations. Those social organizations established
    by the Armenian Evangelical Church and belonging to it serve to the
    whole Armenian community in Lebanon.

    Informational sphere. In the periodicals published by the Protestant
    Armenians the publications covering not only the issues of the
    Protestant community but also the issues of all the Armenians in
    Lebanon can be found. The "Haigazian" journal devoted to the issues
    of the Armenian studies is of special national significance.

    Interconfessional collaboration Despite the differences in confessional
    affiliation there is a sense of the common ethnic identity, based on
    the high national self-consciousness in all the three confessional
    stratums of the Armenians in Lebanon. The manifestation and symbol
    of that is the collaboration of the Armenian Apostolic, Catholic
    and Evangelical churches in the sphere of implementation of various
    nationwide programmes.

    The collaboration of the Armenian Evangelical Church with other
    confessional groups also includes different spheres of public live.

    social, scientific and educational, political.

    Social sphere is prior in the interconfessional collaboration of the
    Armenians in Lebanon. The vivid example of such collaboration was the
    establishment of the national sanatorium in Maamlte by the Apostolic
    and Evangelical churches in 1923, which later, in 1937, moved to
    Azounieh. The establishment of the national hospital was conditioned
    by the necessity to treat the diseases (particularly tuberculoses)
    which were spread among the Armenians who had immigrated to Lebanon
    after the Genocide. The considerable contribution to the establishment
    of the hospital was made by the Cathalicos of the Great House of
    Cilicia Sahak Khapian and Rev. Enovk Khatitian. Today the hospital is
    a property of the Armenian Apostolic and Evangelical Churches. Being
    one of the leading medical facilities in Lebanon it continues its
    mission directed for a good of the nation. The hospital is managed by
    the board of trustees which consists of eight members - four Apostolic
    and four Evangelical. According to the charter the position of the
    head of the board of trustees is taken by the representative of the
    Apostolic Church and the position of his deputy - by the representative
    of the Evangelical Church. At the same time the secretary is always an
    Apostolic while treasurer is Evangelical6. In fact, this is the case
    when the interconfessional collaboration is of institutional character.

    In the scientific and educational spheres interconfessional
    collaboration is manifested in the following:

    the eager activity of the Apostolic Armenians and Catholics in the
    Protestant educational institutions, active participation of other
    communities in the events arranged by one of them.

    >From the point of view of the eager activity of the Apostolic and
    Catholic Armenians in the Protestant educational institutions the
    experience of Haigazian University is also remarkable. Despite the
    fact the university belongs to the Armenian Evangelical Church and
    its president is the spiritual leader of the Protestant Armenians in
    Lebanon, there are many adherents of the Armenian Apostlic church
    and Catholic Church in the administrative and teaching stuff. The
    Cathalocos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I often reads lectures
    on the Armenian Studies, theology and ecumenism. The well-known
    representative of the Armenian Catholic Church A.Karanian - the
    editor-in-chief of the "Haigazian" journal devoted to the Armenian
    Studies - also teaches at that university7.

    An interesting example of the active involvement of communities in the
    events arranged by one of them is "The Culture of the Cilician Armenia"
    conference arranged by the Cathalicosate of the Great House of Cilicia
    and Matenadaran (Yerevan) in Antilia, in which the Armenian Catholic
    and Evangelical Churches actively participated8. This is another fact
    proving the existence of the common Armenian civilizational field
    for Catholic and Protestant Armenians.

    The participation of the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic Churches,
    represented by the Prelate of Lebanon Bishop Gegham Khacherian and
    the General Vicar of the Armenian Catholic Church Bishop Vartan
    Ashkarian, at the 50th anniversary of the Haigazian University in
    2005 was also remarkable9.

    The interconfessional collaboration in the political sphere is
    expressed by common efforts taken in the direction of solving
    nationwide problems and facing challenges. The Armenian community in
    Lebanon, despite its inner stratification on partisan or confessional
    grounds, is united as for such issues of nationwide significance
    as the Genocide, Hay Dat, confrontation in Nagorno-Karabakh, the
    resistance to the Turkish bids and etc.

    The symbol of that unity is the monument built in Bikfaya honouring
    the victims of the Armenian Genocide and the writing on it reads that
    the monument was erected with the cooperation of the whole Armenian
    community10. It results from this that all the Armenians in Lebanon,
    despite their partisan or confessional affiliations, are united as
    for the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide.

    In issues regarding politics the unity of the Armenian religious
    communities was expressed by the common statement of the Armenian
    Apostolic, Catholic and Evangelical Churches in August 2006 against
    the deployment of the Turkish peacemakers in Lebanon11.

    Thus, the nationwide significance of activity of the
    Protestant Armenian organizations, as well as the eager
    interconfessional collaboration, proves that "... there is
    neither former acute "dashnak-hnchak-ramgavar" struggle" nor
    "Apostolic-Catholic-Evangelical" struggle in Lebanon"12. Consequently,
    the Protestant Armenians in Lebanon, being rather active and viable
    community, are integrated with the rest of the Armenians living in
    Lebanon and together they form a single organic unity which is called
    the Armenian community in Lebanon.

    1See AMAA Directory 2009: Armenian Evangelical Churches, Institutions,
    Organizations, Pastors and Christian Workers Worldwide, p. 13.

    http://www.amaa.org/Directory%20for%20website .pdf

    2See
    http://www.haigazian.edu.lb/Academics/P ages/UndergraduatePrograms.aspx

    3See AMAA Directory 2009: Armenian Evangelical Churches, Institutions,
    Organizations, Pastors and Christian Workers Worldwide, pp. 13-14.

    http://www.amaa.org/Directory%20for%20webs ite.pdf

    4The fact that almost a half of the students at Haigazian University
    are foreigners proves the international significance of the university,
    as well as its good reputation on the international level.

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    Õ·Õ¿Õ¥Õ&#xB 4;Õ¡O~@Õ¡Õ¶Õ&# x A8;, http://wap.report.am/?lang=AM&id=1286

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    Ô¼Õ&quot ;Õ¢Õ¡Õ¶Õ&#xA1 ;& #xD5;¶, http://www.keghart.com/Moskofian_Azunie

    7Ð~[ иваÐ&#xBD ;&# xD1;~Aкие Ñ~MÑ~AкиÐ& #xB 7;Ñ~K,
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    8Ibid.

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    Õ°Õ¸Õ¢&#x D5;¥Õ¬ÕµÕ¡&#xD5 ;¶Õ¨, Ô±Õ¦Õ£, 06.07.2005Õ©.O~I

    10Armenians in Lebanon,
    http://www.horizonworld.com/vb/showthread .php?t=63

    11See Ð~PÑ~@мÑ~OÐ&#xBD ;&# xD0;µ Ð~[иваР½Ð° пÑ~@оÑ~BÐ& #xB 8;в
    вкÐ&quot ;Ñ~NÑ~GенÐ& #x B8;Ñ~O Ñ~BÑ~CÑ~@еÑ~F&#x D0; ºÐ¸Ñ... Ñ~AиÐ" в Ñ~AоÑ~AÑ~BÐ&#xB0 ;&# xD0;²
    миÑ~@Ð& #xBE;Ñ~BвоÑ~@&#xD1 ;~GеÑ~Aко&#x D0;³Ð¾ конÑ~B&#x D0; ¸Ð½Ð³Ðµ&#xD0 ;&# xBD;Ñ~Bа,
    http://www.regnum.ru/new s/690305.html

    12Ô¼Õ"Õ&#x A2;Õ¡Õ¶Õ¡Õ&#xB6 ;. Õ~MO~CÕµÕ¸O~BÕ&#x BC; O~DÕ" Õ½Õ"O~@Õ¿Õ&# xA8 ; O~G
    Õ·Õ¿Õ¥Õ&#xB 4;Õ¡O~@Õ¡Õ¶Õ&# x A8;, http://wap.report.am/?lang=AM&id=1286 Other
    issues of author THE PROTESTANT ARMENIANS [16.03.2010]
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